Case Study - North West Leicester District Council

Project Details

Client: NWLDC

Location: Leicester

Programme: Roofing

North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) aims to provide their tenants with a reliable and quick repairs and maintenance service with Kier Group as their main contractor partner.
This included attaining the Decent Homes Standard that the Government has set for all Council to reach in 2010.
Key building components were:

External roofs

Roof structures and coverings

Windows

Doors

Chimneys

Central heating boilers

Gas fires

Storage heaters

Electrics

Kitchens and Bathrooms

The majority of Decent Homes refurbishment spend was allocated to providing tenanted homes with a reasonable modern kitchen with adequate space and layout, a reasonable modern bathroom, insulation where external noise was a problem, efficient heating and full rewiring of properties.
During this phase the majority of indicative stock condition surveys reflected large numbers of landlords’ assets with an area of flexibility regarding full roof replacements, and to make good with repairs, so that the focus on providing reasonable modern facilities internally could be maximised. One such landlord was North West Leicestershire District Council.
At NWLDC the Asset Management team had conducted roofing repair work to some of their tenanted properties in 1981 by the application of insulation foam that is sprayed on internally.
Sprayed-on foam roof undercoating on the underside of a slated or tiled roof will compromise two vital attributes: the roof’s ability to move and to breathe.
The National Federation of Roofing Contractors does not endorse foam undercoating, nor does it recognise it as a discipline of the industry.

Whilst Foam spraying is often promoted as a cost efficient solution to roof problems, the chief disadvantage to using spray foam is the reduction of breathability, which may lead to wood rot in the roof timbers.
Also when stripping the roof the foam had bound the Welsh Slate tiles so tightly that we could not re-use them nor could they be re-cycled.
However we did find one environmentally friendly use for them….
Local residents wanted the old welsh slate tiles for use in their front gardens as ‘shale’ covering.
The properties have generally suffered from shaded front gardens that have proved difficult to maintain, and with an ageing population, removing the large lawned area is favourable option. However to undertake this work would be costly to the home occupant, so by offering the damaged welsh slate to be used free of charge to the community for ground covering is a win/win for all parties, Avonside, Kier , NWLDC and their tenants!
Whilst all works to continue improvements to social housing is now under strict evaluation and most social landlords seek the most cost efficient option to bring their housing stock the Decent Homes standards, NWLDC were not prepared to compromise on the unique appearance or original design configurations of these properties.
The Client’s strict specifications for the re-roofing works were to only use, where possible, the original materials. To meet these requirements we supplied and installed:

Welsh Penrhyn County 500 x 250mm slates

Dry Redland ridge and hip

New Swish fascia and soffit

New Marley deepflow gutter and down pipe

The Penrhyn quarry in north Wales had been in operation for more than 400 years.
Highly sought after and flat in appearance, with a consistent thickness, when fixed onto a roof provide a smooth easily identifiable individual appearance.
Penrhyn slate is expected to exceed the life of a building, with a manufacturers guarantee for a 100 year period.

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